Mechanical movement.



J. SIMPSON.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 191a.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Wf/Wm.

J. SIMPSON.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, me.

mmmao Patented Oct. 24,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W/ 771055555 fA/VE/V 70R.

m: Norems n: fERs m. Puma-Anna. WASNINGTDN. n. c

JOHN SIMPSON, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

re eases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 2d, 1916.

Application filed January 3, 1916. Serial No. 69,850.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN SIMPsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Movements, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanical movements, and the object of my invention is to devise a means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion in a simple manner without the use of cranks, and which means is strong and capable of transmitting great power with a low percentage of losses due to friction, thereby providing a highly eflicient mechanical movement adapted for use in machines, such as reciprocating engines and the like, and the use of which enables-the size and weight of the machine for a given power to be considerably reduced.

I attain this object by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation, in part section, of a reciprocating engine in which my mechanical movement is embodied. Fig. 2 is an elevation, in part section, of the drum casing. Fig. 3 is an end view, in part section, of the drum casing. Fig. 4c is a vlew, in part section, illustrating the engagement of the crossheads with the drum thread. Fig. 5 is an end view of the crosshead. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the crosshead. Fig. 7 is a view of the drum. Fig. 8 is an expanded view of the drum thread. Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of the drum thread.

Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 indicates the bedplate of the engine, on which is mounted centrally the drum casing 2, which drum casing is formed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, that is, having the bore 3, the passages or guideways 4i, and the end flanges 5 and 6, to which end flanges are secured, in quadruple, as indicated dotted in Fig. 3, high and low pressure cylinders, indicated generally by the numerals 7 and 8 respectively, the cylinders being arranged in tandem, as shown in Fig. l. The pistons 9 may be of any suitable type and those in the opposing cylinders are connected together by suitable piston rods 10 and 11, as shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the rods being threaded so that they may be secured into their re spective crossheads, hereinafter described.

Mounted centrally and extending longi tudinally between the cylinders, as shown in Fig. 1, is the main shaft 12, on which shaft is secured a drum 13 and which drum is disposed longitudinally between the inner ends of the cylinders and is rotatable within the bore 3 of the drum casing 2. This drum is provided with a flange or thread it run ning from end to end and around the drum, the angle of the thread with relation to the longitudinal axis of the drum being 45. The construction of this thread is shown clearly in the expanded view, as in Fig. 8, and it will be seen that, while the thread is of parallel section where it runs along the sides of the drum, it is thicker in section at each end, this construction being designed to allow for the movement of the thread, as the drum rotates, through the crosshead at each end of the stroke, as hereinafter described.

The crossheads, indicated generally by the numeral 15, are formed as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, being provided with a threaded bore 16, into the opposite ends of which the threaded ends of the opposing piston rods are screwed, and having the block portion 17, the sides 18 and 19 of which are inachined so that the block 17 may fit slidably its respective passage at in the drum casing 2 when assembled in place and as shown in Fig. .4. From the lower face of the crosshead project walls 20 and 21 which approach each other at their centers on opposite sides; of the transverse axis of the crosshead but are set away therefrom so as to recede from each other at angles of 45 forming a groove having faces or slides and 2 i-25, all as shown more particularly in F 6, which faces are ada Jted to bear alternately on the opposite sides of the parallel portions of the thread 14L as the drum is rotated, that is to say, on one stroke of the piston the faces 22 and 23 slidably engage the thread 1% which is then between them, while on the return stroke the faces 24: and 25 engage the thread.

It will be seen, on referring to Fig. 6, that the opposite simultaneously engaging faces, that is 22-23 or 24-25, are not in alinement with each other but are offset an amount suiiicient to allow the thread to be slidably engaged between them, and it will be seen further that the thickness of the parallel portion of the thread governs the thickness at the ends, as, when the parallel thickness has been decided upon, in designing the thread, the end portions are thickened or broadened sufficiently to allow for the passage of the thread, as the drum rotates at the end of the stroke, slidably between the walls 20 and 21 at their nearest points of approach to each other, as shown in Fig. 6, the thread being shown dotted. As soon as the thick portion of the thread has passed the parallel portion is engaged between the walls 22-23, or 2%25, as the case may be, from which it will be seen that there is no slackness between the thread and the Walls of the crosshead at any point of the stroke. 1

In order to provide for the taking up of the slackness between the crosshead walls and the thread due to wear the crosshead is split on its transverse center line, as shown in Fig. 6, that is, it is made in two parts, 26 and 27, which are held together by set screws 28 and 29, so that the crosshead may be adjusted by separating the parts and filing or machining their faces to bring them close together when re-assembled.

In the embodiment of the invention, as shown in Fig. 1, there are four such crosshcads-lf), one for each set of four cylinders, each of which crossheads engages, as described, the thread 1 1 at diiierent points, and the manner of operation will be at once apparent on reference being made to the drawings, as it will be seen that reciprocaticn of the crossheads by the respective pistons and piston rods will cause rotation of the drum 2, due to the slidable engagement of the walls 20 and 21 of the crossheads with the thread 14 of the drum.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is l. A mechanical movement comprising a crosshead having a groove and mounted to reciprocate, and a rotatably mounted cylindrical member having its axis parallel with the direction of movement of the said crosshead, said member being provided with a flange extending therearound in a plane oblique to the axis and adapted for slidable engagement in the groove of the crosshead, said flange being increased in thickness at its opposite ends.

2'. A mechanical movement comprising crossheads mounted to reciprocate, each said crosshead being provided on its transverse axis with a groove the walls of which on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the crosshead recedc from each other so that the groove is wider at its ends than at its center, and a rotatably mounted cylindrical member having a flange extending therearound in a plane oblique to the axis and adapted for slidable engagement in the said grooves, said flange being increased in thickness at its opposite ends whereby it may slidably traverse the said grooves without slackness throughout the whole of its travel. 3. A mechanical movement comprising a rotatably mounted cylindrical member having a flange extending thercaround in a plane oblique to the axis and increased in thickness at its opposite ends, erosshea'ds mounted to reciprocate, each said crosshead being provided with a groove on its transverse axis the width of which about its center is such that it slidably engages the thickest partof said flange and the width of which on each side of the longitudinal axis of the crosshead is such that its opposite'corner walls slidably engage the parallel portions of the flange, said crossheads having guide members, and suitably supported guides for the said guide members.

4;. For use in a device of the class described, a crcsshead having a groove on its tansverse axis the walls of which on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the crosshead recede from each other so that the groove is wider at its ends than at its center.

For use in a. device of the class described, a crosshead having a groove on its transverse axis the walls of which on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the crosshead recede from each other so that the groove is ,wider at its ends than at its center, and means for adjusting the width of said groove.

6. For use in a device of the class described, a cylindrical member provided with a peripheral flange extending therearound in a plane oblique to the axis and increased in thickness at its opposite ends.

Dated at Vancouver, B. C., this 20th day of December, 1915.

JOHN SIMPSON. Vitnesses JAMES TAYLOR. IsoBnL D. ORR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents. Washington, D. C. 

